


The King I Know He Is

by vogue91



Category: The Lord of the Rings - All Media Types
Genre: Dreams, F/M, Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, Introspection, Love, Songfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-27
Updated: 2018-02-27
Packaged: 2019-03-24 17:36:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,142
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13816113
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vogue91/pseuds/vogue91
Summary: “You elves think too much, that’s the problem. You’re taking too many things for granted. First of all, we should win. And then, Arwen or not Arwen, I don’t think Aragorn will be so quick to set us aside.”





	The King I Know He Is

**Author's Note:**

> So. Having The Lion King’s “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” as a prompt, mixed with LOTR, as a prompt was not awesome. And I honestly don’t know what I did with it, so bear with me xD

_[I can see what’s happening, and they don’t have a clue_

_They’ll fall in love and here’s the bottom line_

_Our trio’s down to two._

_The sweet caress of twilight, there’s magic everywhere_

_And with all this romantic atmosphere_

_Disaster’s in the air]_

“My friend, does it ever happen to you to think about what’s going to come after?”

Legolas was outside Edoras palace with the dwarf; he was gazing into the horizon, lost in his thought, as it often happened. Gimli stared at him, confused.

“After what?” he asked, caressing distracted his axe, thinking that in view of future battle, he would have needed to sharpen it.

“After the end of the war. I mean, if we were to win...” Legolas hesitated, thinking that their victory was hardly likely. “The Fellowship is going to come undone. And what will happen to us? To the Hobbits? To Aragorn...” his voice became gloomier in pronouncing that last time.

“Why should something happen to us? I think we’ll stick together. I could also go over the fact that your ears are pointy.” as mocking as it seemed, the dwarf had never been so serious. Legolas sighed.

“If Aragorn was to become the King of men, Arwen and his will have no more obstacles in front of them. She will not be forced to go to the Valinor, she would be queen and they would have their destinies written for them.” the dwarf snorted.

“You elves think too much, that’s the problem. You’re taking too many things for granted. First of all, we should win. And then, Arwen or not Arwen, I don’t think Aragorn will be so quick to set us aside.” and yet while he spoke a doubt caught him too. He sighed, and went sitting next to the elf.

“At times I wonder what my life would have looked like, had I not been an immortal.” whispers Legolas.

“What do you mean?” asked Gimli.

“You see, we watch too many life pass. Often a lot of us lose the faculty to love human beings or other races different than ours, for they know that their nature is ephemeral, that sooner or later they’re going to vanish, and nothing would be left of them but a memory.” he smiled, tenderly. “And yet I’m glad it hasn’t happened to me. The affection binding me to Aragorn has got roots much deeper than that.” he explained. Gimli rolled his eyes. As usual, he had a hard time trying to follow his friend’s twisted thoughts.

“Well, that’s got to be like that for him too, right? He won’t part his way from ours.” he tried to reassure him, and the elf laughed.

“Alright, I will stop. I didn’t want to put you in a foul mood, my friend.” he sighed again. “And I’m sure you’re right. Once the war will be over, a lot of things are going to change. Our bond is not one of them.” he told him, still smiling.

The dwarf nodded, determined.

“I see you start to see reason. And then again, if you’re really so doubtful, why don’t you talk to him? I’m sure he will be able to give you your answers. You should know better than to expect any comfort from him.” the elf looked at him.

“You’re right. He’s a friend, and it would be right for me to talk to him.” he stared at the horizon once more. “And the night seem also to be apt. There is not one cloud staining the sky.” he added, and Gimli sighed.

“Is it really so hard for you pointy-ears to form complete sentences?” he complained. Legolas patted his shoulder.

“Fine. For tonight, this pointy-ears is done bothering you.” he said, then he went away, nimbly. From afar, he heard the dwarf’s voice.

“I didn’t mean you were bothering me! Just that I hardly ever understand a word you’re saying!”!

Legolas laughed, then went inside the castle, looking for Aragorn.

 

_[Can you feel the love tonight_

_The peace that evening brings_

_The world for once in perfect harmony_

_With all its living things]_

Arwen’s thoughts weren’t so distant from Legolas’. She had wondered often what was going to happen, once the war was over.

She sighed.

Had she survived it.

She felt weaker every passing day, as if the very same air surrounding her was hurting her, poisoning her. She knew the fault laid all in that uncertainty.

Where was he? Where would his heart bring him?

All she was allowed to know, was that he was safe for now. Being an elf, or merely a woman in love, she could feel it. She felt even when he got a mere scratch, she felt his struggles, as if they were happening inside of her.

And she could also feel the shadows on his mind, though she couldn’t tell about their essence.

She didn’t want to be the reason behind them, but she knew it was inevitable. They were the same that were slowly tarnishing her as well, making her grey.

Only at night she found some rest from that agony. Then dreams flew free, and colours came back to her, brighter than ever. She flew to where he was, she frantically looked for him, and when she found him she stared at him.

Everything was allowed, in her world of oblivion. Even believing that everything was going to be alright.

Yet she was aware that their paths were braided by fate, and that right then they were farther than ever.

 

_[So many things to tell her_

_But how to make her see_

_The truth about my past, impossible_

_She’d turn away from me]_

Aragorn was not at ease. Elrond had warned him about Arwen’s fate, and he had welcomed that information with a pain that was hard even to imagine.

He sat in the throne room at King Theoden’s palace, and stared in front of him, absorbed. He could not believe he would have been the reason for her death.

All he loved, all he fought for, was slowly slipping through his fingers, and he didn’t know anymore what the right path to follow was.

All of a sudden, he felt crushed by the weight of the sins of his past. Isildur’s blood ran arrogantly in his veins, giving him that veil of selfishness which forbade him to give up on her.

The only excuse he could give, was that she would’ve never decided to go to Valinor. She loved him, and death seemed to her like the right price for that love.

But Aragorn wondered how such a thing could be called justice.

He would’ve like to believe that it was nothing but a nightmare, waking up and finding himself next to her, without obstacles, without blood, without pain.

But reality never missed to let him hear its deadly echoes, making him deaf to reason.

He just hope he still had a chance. That he could once again gaze into those eyes, deep and sincere as he’d never seen before, to hold those hands and give her his heart, like she had given him hers.

He couldn’t erase the past. He could only fight to grant a future for them.

 

_[He’s holding back, he’s hiding_

_But what, I can’t decide_

_Why won’t he be the king I know he is?_

_The king I see inside?]_

Arwen felt a stab in her heart.

She felt her man’s affliction becoming sharper, it went through her like a blade in her chest.

She sighed. She knew Aragorn too well to hope that he could shut the guilt out of his mind.

Never like then she desired to be with him. Caressing his face, telling him it wasn’t his fault.

She was aware that he never talked about his qualms, his blues. He wanted to face the world alone, he didn’t want to share the weight on his shoulders with anyone else. A tear ran down her face.

She had read their destiny into the pages of time. He was the rightful King of Gondor, he was the one who should’ve brought trust and peace back into the world of men.

But now those writings, that seemed to be marked with fire, had vanished, faded. And she had ceased to believe that existence was going to come, that she would have seen that universe without agony.

And if she didn’t, she knew Aragorn wasn’t going to be persuaded either. There was nothing in which to put their hearts, nothing deserving the passion of the fight. There were no ideals and no certainties.

Arwen could feel just her love for him inside, feeble like a memory, but still alive. And until there still was that thread of emotions binding them, until the Evenstar shined close to the ranger’s heart, she knew nothing could break the ancient promises.

 

_[Can you feel the love tonight?_

_You needn’t look too far_

_Stealing through the night’s uncertainties_

_Love is where they are]_

  _They were imprisoned in a dream. Stronger than any bond, it was for Aragorn the image of Arwen smiling to him, her fingers touching hi,._

_“This is not real.” he whispered._

_“Of course it is. I am here and so are you, and it’s the last thing still true in this world.” she answered, smiling. He hugged her, holding her tight. He put in that embrace all the anxiety, all the fear, all that had been oppressing him for so long._

_“Your father said you’d be dying.” he said, but she put a finger over his lips._

_“We’re in a good dream. And in good dreams there’s no place for death, only for life. And I’m here, alive, next to you.” she declared. She looked around to the immensity of blue they were immersed in._

_“There’s light. I had almost forgotten what it looked like. Lately, the earth is covered in greyness and fog.” said Aragorn, running his gaze through all the things surrounding them, becoming once again familiar with beauty._

_“Light... is what we have, Aragorn. The Sun will shine on this Middle Earth. But you have to do something to allow it, you know it.” she explained._

_The ranger closed his eyes and sighed._

_“I don’t know if I can.” he whispered._

_“I do.” she reassured him, and then kissed him._

Aragorn woke up. It was dawn. A new day made of battles, made of plans. They were closer to the end, but he knew he was not alone.

Arwen’s face came to him, violently. He welcomed it with a smile.

She watched over him, a tender and alive angel.

He tightened his hand on the Evenstar, and he got ready to face any obstacle just to see her again.

 

_[And if he falls in love tonight_

_It can be assumed_

_His carefree days with us are history_

_In short, our pal is doomed]_

“So? Did you find Aragorn?” Gimli asked Legolas when the elf came back to him outside the palace. Legolas shook his head.

“He slept. I didn’t want to bother him. His face was... peaceful.” he explained, smiling, thinking to the expression of pure bliss on his friend’s face.

“Well... you can still talk to him in the morning.”

“I don’t think I will.” said Legolas, and the dwarf frowned.

“But.. you said that...”

“Gimli, if we will win this war, Aragorn is going to be the King of Gondor. And men need a contented king, they’ve lived too many years of tyranny and terror. They deserve it.” he sighed. “And Aragorn needs Arwen to do so. We shall not be selfish and plant doubts in his mind. We shall let things have their course. And then again, he loves us. We’re his friends. I do not believe he’ll forget about us.” he added, determined.

“But everything’s gonna change!” the dwarf complained, perhaps more preoccupied about the future than he cared to show. Legolas sat next to him and put a hand on his shoulder.

“Change isn’t always bad. And then, even though the idea may make you shiver, let me remind you that you will always have a friend.” he said, almost tender. Gimli grimaced.

“A pointy-ears one, let’s not forget that.” he muttered, embarrassed.

After a few minutes, they saw the lights of dawn appearing in the sky, filling it with light blue.

“It will be better to go. We’ve got to leave, and Aragorn is going to need us.” Legolas told Gimli, who looked absorbed in the outline of the horizon in front of him becoming more refined.

“Almost as much as we need him.” he murmured. He finally got up, and went inside with the elf.

Their friendship didn’t leave out Aragorn’s love for Arwen. It was just an amalgam of things that would’ve contributed to defeat darkness.

For the world still needed sunrises just like that.


End file.
